Maria
by The Black Wizard Zeref
Summary: Many years have past and Ladybug has a new girl behind the mask. In this story based on Disney's Moana, join Maria as she must journey to another country, and deliver the missing Miraculous back to Paris so that they can destroy hawkmoth once and for all. But how will the other Miraculous feel about the new ladybug? and what happened to Marinette?


_**"** In the beginning, there was only war, until the guardians emerged. The Miraculouses. Their power held the greatest power ever known. Each with their own unique ability and power, but all of them together served as the protectors of peace. The Miraculous shared their gift with the world, and brought peace to every land._

 _But in time, some began to seek the power of the Miraculous for themselves. They believed if they could possess them, the great power of the guardians would be theirs. And one day…_

 _The most daring of them all stormed the Guardian's sanctuary to take them. He was a powerful man who wished to hold power of everything on land or sea. He was selfish, ruthless! He would stop at nothing to get to the miraculous. And his name… is Hawkmoth._

 _Taking the Miraculous of the Butterfly, Hawkmoth gained the ability to grant power to others. He used this power to create large groups of super villains in attempt to gain the rest of the Miraculous. With the Butterfly miraculous, Hawkmoth brought about darkness to this world. Hawkmoth tried to get the Miraculous, but was stopped by the Guardians of the Cat and Ladybug. Hawkmoth was struck down from his reign of terror, never to be seen again._

 _And the Butterfly and the Peacock miraculous that he held were lost in the battle. Where even now, 10 000 years later, the missing guardians still remain elusive from those seeking it. Though should it fall into the wrong hands again, darkness will spread, taking over one city after another, until everyone is consumed in unimaginable darkness by the power hungry jaws of the new Hawkmoth. **"**_

Tikki read aloud as she sat next to Marinette. "This book has a lot of facts about history of the Miraculous." Marinette said. "Could you imagine how bad it would be if this got into the wrong hands?"

Tikki nodded "Which is why we need to give it to master Fu right away, he'll know exactly what to do with it." she said as she closed the book then flew up next to Tikki. Marinette smiled and stood up "Then let's not waste any more time. Tikki, SPOTS ON!" Marinette called and transformed into ladybug. She grabbed the book then climbed onto her balcony and took off across the rooftops.

Maria sat on a swing in the park looking down at her lap when she noticed a shadow pass overhead. She looked up and her eyes grew brighter as she saw her idol. "Ladybug!" She called as she got up, though tripped and fell over onto the dirt ground. Ladybug stopped and looked over at her "Maria?" she said and tilted her head. The girl was a few years younger than her and had recently moved to Paris. Ladybug swung down and moved to help her up "Are you okay, Maria? You should be more careful."

"I'm okay, Ladybug. Just clumsy as ever." She smiled at her. "I wish I had your grace and style, Ladybug. Then I wouldn't trip over my own feet so often." She said. Ladybug smiled at her "to tell you the truth, I'm clumsy too."

"Really?" Maria asked as she looked at her surprised "But you can't be, you're perfect Ladybug! I want to be like you when I grow up." She sighed. Ladybug gave her a small smile "Maria, you don't have to be like me. You should be you instead. Ladybug might seem awesome and amazing. But behind this mask I'm just like everyone else. So how about this, you focus on your school work and home life for now. And if I ever need help, you'll be the first person I call, okay?" she smiled. Maria grinned happily and nodded enthusiastically. "Okay ladybug. You got it!"

"Maria?" a voice called. "Your dad's calling you. You should go find him." She said. "Bug out!" ladybug called and used her yoyo to swing onto a nearby rooftop. "There you are maria, we've been looking for you. What are you doing here?" Maria's father asked as he took her hand and started dragging her out of the park "I was busy with ladybug." Maria said as she stumbled after her father.

Her father sighed and stopped "I know you like her but you shouldn't go near her. It's dangerous, Maria." He said. Maria looked down then turned to look at where ladybug had lept off. "Come on, let's go back home." Her dad said as he took her hand and started leading his daughter away. "Okay…"

"You are my only daughter, and so you're in line to take my place in the family business when the time comes." Her father smiled. "And you'll do wonders, my princess." Her mother said walking over and hugging her daughter. "Oh yes." He smiled "But first, you must learn where you're meant to be…"

*song: Right where you are from Moana. Lyrics changed for story purposes*

"Maria…" her dad sang. "Make way, make way!" he said as he danced. "dad…" Maria said embarrassed as people looked at them.

"Maria it's time you knew, this family business is all you need…" he said and turned to her, only to see her trying to sneak away and running after her.

"The dance classes you're practicing, I know they're really long." He said, as he danced with her. "and boring…" Maria mumbled

"But you will need it in your future years." A group of men sang nearby. "what is this, a Disney musical?" Maria sighed heavily.

They went back home as they continued to sing,

"This tradition is our mission, and Maria there's so much to do." Her father sang and turned to her as he opened the front door, though he gave her a look when he noticed she was busy checking out the ladyblog on her phone instead of listening to him.

"You don't need this terror stuff, we're all you need!" he continued as he grabbed her phone away from her and walking inside.

"Wha- hey!" she yelled and followed him in. "We share everything we make. We sew and we weave these blankets." He said as he tossed her phone on the couch and picked up a blanket that they had designed. "They'll keep up good for years you see!" he turned back to her.

"I wanna see..." Maria sang as she turned to the window where she could see the statue of Ladybug and Chat Noir in the park. "Don't turn away." Her dad sang as he closed the curtains. "Stay in this house now. Our company will need a leader and there you are!" he smiled as he handed the blanket to her, making Maria frown at him.

Maria tossed the blanket to the side. Years later Maria finished high school she watched Chat Noir jump across the rooftops nearby and smiled as she tried to run after them, but her father grabbed her arm and pulled her over to the front doors of their successful store.

"There comes a day, when you'll have a look around and realise that happiness is where you are!" her parents sang as she looked at the building annoyed.

"Consider this home comfort store."

"really dad?"

"Consider the employees!" he sang as he pushed open the doors.

The two woman in the store smiled at her "consider that this store is all we need.." they sang.

"We make blankets, curtains and others!" one sang as she lifted up a throw she'd just finished sewing.

"This pillow case is divine." The other sang as she showed it to the family.

"We use this store to survive here." Her mother sang along

"Consider this comfort store. Consider the employees!" her dad sang as he looked over the lady's work.

"This store gives us what we need!" they all sang as Maria rolled her eyes.

"And no one sees…" she sang softly

"To this day, we're happy and well provided." Her dad smiled down at her and lifted her chin so she'd look at him "And when we look to the future there you are!"

"we'll be okay, in time you'll learn just as I did." He sang softly to her as she looked away and turned her back to him. "You must find happiness right where you are!" he sang, shutting his eyes as he bellowed out his song; though when he opened them Maria was gone. He looked around but couldn't spot her.

Maria ran off away from the store and headed towards the Eiffel Tower to find Chat Noir. She noticed the hero on the rooftops and smiled as she watched them from the distance and followed along.

"I'd like to be in the sky there, the best way to spend my days. That chat is so mischievous, ha!" she laughed, watching Chat Noir. "I like how they behave. My parents might think I'm crazy, or say that I dream too far. But once you know what you want well there you are…" Maria sang as she watched them jump away. Her mother walked up behind her.

"You are your father's daughter: stubbornness and pride. Mind what he says but remember, you might hear a voice inside." She said as she put a hand on her daughter's shoulders. "And if that voice starts to whisper, Maria follow farthest star. Maria that's who you are…" She smiled at her.

Maria smiled and hugged her mother. "Aha!" her dad said as he stepped up behind them. She turned around quickly. "Dad! I was just watching from a distance. I wasn't going to go with them or anything.." she said.

Her dad sighed. "Come on. There's something I need to show you." He told her and put a hand on her back then lead her towards the shop again. He took her to his office where there was a wall full of images. "These are your ancestors, Maria; each one taking over the family business when the time is right. There will come a day when your picture will appear on this wall, like mine did, and my father's did. And his father, and every owner since this store first opened." He smiled "And on that day, when you place your picture on this world, you will take over the family business, and make it greater than any generation before you." He looked down at her. "You are the future of this business, Maria. Your future is here, not out there fighting bad guys. Right here." He said and turned to look out his office at the group of people that stood in the store front. "It's time to be who they need you to be."

Maria looked down then nodded. A couple more years passed and Maria was now working at the shop. "We hand sew each fibre. Make money by the hour. This business will survive here, quilts fit for a sire." Maria sang as she folded the pillow cases. "My father believes in us." She sang to the woman working there. "Ha, that's right!" they sang in return. "So we must believe…" she sang as she spun around "This store gives us what we need!" the women sang

"and no one leaves…" Maria sang softly "I should stay. My home my family beside me. But when I think of tomorrow there you are!" she sang as she looked out the window at a poster of Chat Noir and Ladybug. Though this ladybug was different, she had a more tanned skin tone with deep brown eyes and black hair. "But here I'll stay. I'll have my family to guide me. We'll build our future together where we are!" she sang as she moved out of the store and started walking towards statue in the park.

"Every path leads me back to where you are. Can you find happiness right where you are, where you are, where you are?!" she sang as she sat down and looked at the statue.

*end song.*

* * *

"Uhg, every time! This blanket just doesn't look right no matter how many times I change it." one of the employees said frustratedly, gesturing to a blanket as she spoke to her collegue.

"Fixed!" Maria said, "No need for changing the design, you forgot the blue." She smiled and unfolded it to show the blue ribbon she'd sewn into it. "That's a beautiful blanket." she smiled.

"it really is." Adrien said, walking into the shop. He was in his late 20s now.

"Adrien?! I mean... ahem... what? Dad's calling me, so I gotta... heh. BYE!" Maria said awkwardly and ran to the back. She sighed heavily and looked out the door. Adrien had been stopping by a lot recently and though Maria knew him from back when they were in high school, she never really spoke to him. Over the years though the model had become a lot like his father. He used to be very open, but one day he seemed to just shut off. Adrien had become much more quiet, and kept to himself more. Though every year around this time he'd come in and get a garden ornament from their hand crafted selection. Usually a ladybug or a cat.

Adrien was speaking to one of the woman when he noticed Maria peaking out at them. She smiled awkwardly as the two made eye contact for a second before he moved over to the ornaments. A specific one caught his eye this time. It was a painted clay ornament of a cat with a lady bug on its nose. "I see you're back, mr. Agreste. That time of the year again?" Maria's mother said, walking over to Adrien. "Yes, it is." Adrien said objectively and picked up the clay sculpture. "Maria made that for you specially. She said she wanted to make something in honor of Ladybug and Chat Noir her-"  
"Tell Maria I said thank you." Adrien said, his tone growing more distant as he walked over to the cash register to pay before leaving.

Maria watched the interaction and sighed. A feint voice could be heard from her father's office nearby. Maria looked over at the closed door and walked up to it, placing her ear against the wood. "I'm curious to see what excuse you'll come up with this time, Mr. Gray. You seem to be lacking the business to stay open for, well even a few more days. Perhaps we should just... end it here." A voice said.

"Sometimes the road seems too broken to continue. Far too broken. But I am confident that this business will pick back up and thrive once more, Mr. Schmit!" Maria heard her dad say.

"It's about time you start to think about your options more wisely, Mr. Gray. For your sake and your families." Mr. Schmit said.

"Well, we still have a few more months. We'll start a new advertising campaign and ring in more customers." Her dad said.

"If that is what you choose, Mr. Gray. Thank you for your time, goodbye." She heard Mr. Schmit say then heard footsteps coming towards the door.

Mr. Schmit opened the door then looked down at Maria, "Good day, Maria." he said then moved to leave the store.

Maria's father walked out his office and looked down at Maria. "So how much of that did you hear?" he asked, when he heard his wife calling. "Honey! Come here quickly, there's something you need to see!"

Maria's father sighed and walked out to see his wife.

"our sales are down. Again." she said to her husband. "Our business is pulling up less and less customers." she said.

"Then we'll... put up some more flyers." Her dad said as Maria walked over to listen to the two.

"We have. It's not working." her mother sighed.

"Hn.. then... we'll have another sale. That always brings in new customers!"He said proudly.

"We can't afford to have anymore sales. People only come in during our sales and then we end up losing profit because we've put our prices down." She sighed.

Maria listened to the two quarrel and talk about their options. She moved to look at the empty store around her and tried to think of a new idea.

"I will talk to the banks. I'm sure we ca-"  
"What if..." Maria cut her dad off. "We asked Chat Noir?" she said, looking at a poster of the Cat outside. Ladybug hadn't been seen for the last few months, though so far Chat Noir had handled all the trouble.

Her father glared "I will not have that _cat_ near this store."  
"I know you don't like him, but if there are no sales in the store"  
"Maria"  
"And there's a chance he could help us"  
"He will just destroy stuff. He's bad luck"  
"He destroyed our store by accident during an akuma attack 4 years ago. And Ladybug fixed it, remember?"  
"That boy is dangerous, i'm trying to keep my family safe!"  
"But Dad, I-"  
"i will not have you endanger our store so you can run off and play hero!" Her father yelled as he stepped up and ripped the poster off the wall. Maria looked at her father surprised. He sighed softly "Every time I think you're passed this..." he said then walked away, crumpling up the poster as he walked off. "Chat Noir is not welcome in my store!"

Maria watched as her father stormed off to his office, then turned and ran out the store. Her mother sighed "Take care of the store for me, ladies." she said and walked out.


End file.
